FOOTBALL - David Beckham could be on a collision course with LA Galaxy fans again over his commitments with the England team, except this time he is not the one to blame for potentially agitating supporters. The England manager, Fabio Capello, has told Beckham that if he wants to play for England in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa then he must be playing in Europe at the start of next year. Straight-talking Capello's excellent quote is blunt and to the point: "Beckham knows well that if he doesn't return to a big European championship in December he'll have no chance for the World Cup."You have to admire Capello. Unlike previous England managers he does not seem to be allowing the players much say in how things are within the team. Beckham reportedly called the shots when Sven-Goran Eriksen was in charge, for example, so it is nice to see an England manager actually managing rather than pandering for once.
loserscomesecond have got to say, in any case, that we do not think Beckham should be going to the World Cup anyway because he is not good enough nowadays. He has not been any good in years, in our view. All he can do is cross a ball and take a free kick, so once he is nullified - as all the best teams England have faced in recent years have managed to do - then his influence on the game is negligible. So from a footballing point of view, we hope he stays in Los Angeles.
Another reason for him not going to South Africa is that we do not want to have to see his awful wife splashed all over the television and the newspapers!
